Posts tagged ‘Kenya at 50’

“He was the greatest crime fighter that ever lived…” Those who lived in Nairobi in the 1970s and 1980s will recollect the late Patrick David Shaw: a burley and intimidating police reservist who ruled the streets of Nairobi while also working full-time as an administrator at The Starehe Boys’ Centre. Author and filmmaker David Smith invites you to listen to a presentation and participate in a discussion on the legacy of this legendary yet controversial figure in Kenyan history.

The pictures in this exhibition are a culmination of research and archiving carried out by Ketebul Music over a period of seven years as part of their Retracing Kenyan Music series. This photo exhibition, produced with the support of the Kenya Music Week, pays tribute to musicians who have shaped the various genres of music in Kenya, and influenced our social psyche over the past five decades.

The “50 Years of Kenyan Music” photo exhibition made its debut at the 10th Annual KENYA MUSIC WEEK that took place at the Sarit Centre Expo Hall from Thursday 12th -Sunday 15th December 2013, as part of Kenya@50 Celebrations; and plans to tour the Country for the next 12 months”.

Mohammed Adow’s documentary, Not Yet Kenyan, which aired on Al Jazeera English Channel on 14 November this year brought to the fore the divide in Kenyan society, revealing a history of institutionalised discrimination against ethnic Somalis of North Eastern Kenya since independence.

About
Born and raised in Garissa County of northeast Kenya, Mohammed Adow has lived through and witnessed at first hand the political and economic marginalisation of this part of Kenya. For Not Yet Kenyan he went back to see how the region and its people had survived and started to prosper, only to find that Kenya’s intervention in Somalia and the actions of al-Shabaab are threatening to throw the region into turmoil.

Event while we celebrate Kenya at 50
During this meeting organised by the RVI Nairobi Forum, Gabriel Gatehouse of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) will talk with fellow journalist Mohammed Adow about his experiences and the story behind this documentary. Dr Ekuru Aukot, a Constitutional Lawyer, who hails from Turkana in northwest Kenya will discuss the issues raised by Adow.

Activities for all ages. Conversations with some of Kenya’s well known pioneer artists, exciting art workshops with master artists,live performances, an art exhibition, art sale,an opportunity to win prizes from the raffle,treasure hunt, wire toy car race, and much more.

SYNOPSIS
The nation of Kenya has existed from before there was a flag. Now, as we come up to our fiftieth year since independence, we celebrate our nation, our diversity, our drama, our love, and our cultures. We sing the songs that have made us happy, and celebrate each decade and each life that was in our proud nation.
Join us in a journey that is written in a narrative style and follows many different lives as they chase the future…

Without music, the story of Kenya is incomplete .Our determination, resilience, failures and conquests are captured in the songs we sing and dance to. Generations come and go but their music lives forever. Kenya
at 50 is a love story. Love between people who wade through the murky waters of politics, deception and betrayal. Together they rise but casualties cannot be avoided. Some just love but others just love to hate. The one thing everybody seems to love is song , dance and music . As they age together with their nation to reach the golden age at 50 they know from deep within their hearts,” MY LAND IS KENYA”.

To the audience, we encourage you to sing along if you know the song… and encourage you to dance as well. And spoiler alert…we make fun of ourselves and our culture but it is all in good fun.